Avalanche
by WinteryRose
Summary: Things are less than happily-ever-after in Storybrooke. The fate of Regina and Robin is uncertain- but that's not all! Storybrooke has two new arrivals, who stir up quite a bit of trouble in Storybrooke. What happens when both are set on revenge, and who will be injured along the way? The fate of Storybrooke lies in their hands. OutlawQueen, CaptainSwan, Rumbelle
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! This story will be partly Outlaw Queen, but I might focus a bit on some action, too! Please review, so I know what you think about this story! Even if you hate it, do tell me :) Haha.  
**

Regina stalked out of Granny's Diner. She was mad. No, not mad, enraged. The first time she finally had felt that she would get a happy ending since Daniel, and the stupid savior had to mess it up. Now Robin would go back to Marian, and Regina would be alone again. She brushed a stray tear off of her cheek and reminded herself that villains don't get happy endings_. _Henry had told her countless times that Regina wasn't a villain anymore, but she didn't quite believe him. At least, she sure felt like one. She wanted to punch that woman in the face. Or worse.

Regina, trying to muffle her sobs with her jacket, was about to go into her house when she heard a quiet voice.

"Mom?"

Henry was standing there, looking very confused.

"Mom, what happened? Did Robin hurt you?"

Regina hugged him, crying into his shoulder. She knew she would regret it later, but right now she just needed to be comforted. Regina realized numbly that Henry must have not been at the restaurant.

"Sort of, but it's not his fault. Emma brought his dead wife back from the past," she said in between sobs. Regina knew Henry must be a little confused, but she wasn't up for talking. Henry seemed to understand this, and just hugged her.

Finally, Henry pulled Regina inside her house and made her a cup of tea. _How lucky I am to have such a loving son_, she thought gratefully.

* * *

The next morning, Regina had woken up and gotten dressed for the day until she remembered last night's events. She wondered if Henry had stayed the night in his room, but he wasn't in there. She tried not to cry, but felt very lonely now that he was gone. She went into her bathroom, doing her makeup, when she heard a snore coming from her bed. She cautiously tip-toed over to her bed and lifted the covers. There had been a lump there, but Regina hadn't investigated. Surprisingly, though, Henry was curled up in a ball, sleeping hard. Regina smiled- he hadn't left her after all.

She was in a good mood as she went down to the kitchen to make her daily cup of coffee. Maybe she didn't need Robin. Maybe Henry was enough for her. But when she entered the kitchen, Regina realized she had some... unwelcome guests hanging out at her table. She stared at them for a while suspiciously.

"Come to gloat? See, this is exactly why I don't do men." She said, turning to Mary Margaret. David glared at her, but Mary nudged him slightly and he looked down. She knew exactly why Regina was mad- she had encouraged her to open up and show Robin how she felt.

"Of course not, Regina. We _will_ figure this out. You just have to have faith, okay?" Mary Margaret said sweetly. How this woman could believe in happy endings, Regina didn't know.

However, Regina wasn't exactly in the mood to argue with her optimistic step-daughter, so she didn't. She just made her coffee the way she liked it, and sat down next to David.

"Regina, I know it may not seem like it to you, but we are here for you." David said after a seemingly-endless stretch of silence.

Regina blinked back unwelcome tears.

"Why?" she asked, "All I have done is trying to kill you for our whole entire lives, yet you all stand by me now." This time, Regina wasn't hostile, just wary.

"Because you aren't the same women anymore. None of us are. We have come too far for that." Mary Margaret said.

"Plus, we have bigger problems to worry about," Emma said, speaking up for the first time. Emma figured since Regina hadn't burned her to a crisp yet that she wasn't quite forgiven, but Regina wasn't exactly blaming her for this.

"What do you mean?" Regina questioned cautiously.

David sighed. "As much as we want to help you, the real reason we came here was because, well..." He trailed off. Regina raised an eyebrow.

"There's a newcomer in the town."

Regina spit out the coffee she had been drinking all over the table.

"And that's not all," Mary Margaret continued, "She has the ability to freeze things."

Regina's eyes bulged. "So let me get this right; we have a women, who no one has ever seen before, who can freeze things, here? In Storybrooke?"

Regina grabbed a rag out of one of the cupboards, and mopped up the mess on the table. She then set out some fruit, while her brain processed this new information.

"Has anyone met her?" Regina finally said.

Emma shook her head. "No one has meet her, but someone did report seeing her by the docks, freezing something. They aren't exactly sure what she froze, but it was definitely un-frozen before she got there.

Robin Hood completely forgotten, Regina jumped out of her chair.

"Well, what are you waiting for? This girl isn't just going to leave, by the sound of it." She said impatiently, glancing at her watch for good measure.

"Uh- one problem." David said cautiously.

Regina nodded for him to continue.

"She might freeze us if we tried to get near."

"Well, good thing I have magic!" Regina said sarcastically.

But still, no one moved out of their chair.

The queen sighed. "You can come or stay, but I'm going to see who this girl thinks she is."

This time, everyone got up. Regina rolled her eyes and marched out of the house.

* * *

Meanwhile, Robin was busy with his newly-reunited family- but things weren't exactly going perfectly. Marian was having trouble grasping all that had happened.

"So you cursed yourselves into this place? Are you sure it wasn't the evil queen, and she's trying to make it seem like she's innocent?" Marian asked for at least the fifth time. Robin sighed and shook his head. He usually had a lot of patience, but Marian was convinced the queen was still out to get them, even after he had explained over and over.

"Marian, to do the curse you need the heart of whatever you love most. So if Regina had cast the curse, Henry would be heartless."

Marian stared off into the distance for a little, appearing to be thinking deeply. Finally, she came to a conclusion. She glanced at Robin sorrowfully.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Nothing," she muttered, "nothing at all. Just... tell me what happened after that."

Robin explained about the wicked witch of the west, making sure to draw attention to the fact the Regina was the one who saved them all. He also made sure to leave out the parts about their relationship. He wasn't ashamed of it; but Marian wouldn't exactly be thrilled that he was dating the very woman who she swore was evil. Little did he know, she had already wondered if they had became friends. She just didn't know how deep this friendship ran.

After she finished asking questions, Robin had a question of his own to ask.

"Marian, how are you still alive? I thought- I thought you were dead! For so much of my life!"

The fact that Robin's voice held so much emotion didn't escape Marian. She was very selfless, but it pleased her to know that Robin cared so much about her. She considered this before answering.

"When you and the merry men went to steal from that group of Black Knights, I saw a young girl who I immediately recognized as Snow White. She was hanging onto a branch for dear life, swinging wildly. She was about to fall right on top of the fight, and I knew she would be immediately killed if the Black Knights saw her, merry men or not. So I climbed the tree and pulled her to safety. Snow White climbed down and ran off after thanking me, and I was about to run off too and catch up with you as soon as the knights rode off.

"However, the black knights may have lost all of their gold, but they still had a few weapons that they had hidden, as well as their horses. One of the knights had seen me helping Snow, and went to chase after her. The others stayed behind to guard the horses. When he came back empty-handed, he saw me, still in the tree, for I couldn't escape with them right under me. The knights pulled me down out of the tree and captured me. Later on, the queen appeared, and I knew I had lost my chance of escape."

Marian paused, the wonder of still being alive showing on her face. Robin reached out to embrace her in a hug, and she continued her story.

"After that, the queen used me to show numerous villages what happened to those who aided Snow White. She knew all about me helping the girl. They kept a bag over my face for most of the trip. Finally, we reached the castle. I was lead inside and thrown in a jail cell. I thought all hope was gone. I was saying goodbye to all my memories of my friends and family. The queen tried to torture information about Snow White out of me, but I stayed silent. I knew you and Rowland would be killed otherwise."

Marian looked up. Robin was silently crying, tears streaming down his face. She brushed them off tenderly, and then told him of her escape.

"A woman, Princess Leia, was the reason of my escape. She used a pair of spoons to break the lock. I told her to go, but she wouldn't leave without me. She is a wonder, that girl. Anyways, we traveled hard and fast with a few others, including Snow, to escape. I wanted to go find my family, I really did. I didn't want to leave you and Rowland. But Emma and a man who went by Hook insisted that I came with them. They said something about time travel. The next thing I knew, I was here. In Storybrooke."

Robin's eyes widened, "So you were only gone for a few days?"

Marian nodded, "But I missed you and Rowland so much. I thought I was as good as dead!"

"I'm so happy to see you again!" Robin put his forehead against hers, and the tears spilling down both of their faces collided. They were silent for a few minutes, appreciating the moment.

"Wait, what was Snow doing in the tree?" Robin suddenly wondered suspiciously.

"Later on she said she had been trying to attack them, like us, but she had gotten stuck in the tree. She would have been able to escape, but the Black Knights would have seen her," Marian said, smiling.

"Oh Marian, you are such a hero!" Robin said, awe-filled. He hugged her, and she smiled again, but this time it was a triumphant smile. She vowed to make sure that Regina wouldn't win over Robin. That witch would _not_ get the best of her.

* * *

While Robin and Marian talked, Regina lead the way down to the docks. Emma and David grumbled the whole time, saying that this was a bad idea. Regina, sure of her skills in magic, wanted to argue, but she realized that the Charmings weren't exactly easy to sway. So instead, Regina focused on formulating a plan. She knew that if the girl did indeed have the ability to freeze things, she would be a formidable enemy- unless, however, she came in peace- which Regina highly doubted. The queen decided to try ambushing her, and _then_ asking if she came in peace when Regina had her where she couldn't hurt anyone. Regina was not a fool, but when she reached the docks, David immediately grabbed her.

"Regina, don't be rash. We **are** going to be peaceful first, or we might make a dangerous enemy," he warned her.

The dark-haired brunette realized that he wasn't going to give in to her plan, so she agreed reluctantly; "Fine, but if she freezes anything, ANYTHING, I will fry her to a crisp before you can say the word magic."

Regina brushed a stray hair out of her face before stalking off to the docks. She moved with an air of confidence, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the girl. She was sitting with her side to Regina, but Regina could see even from that angle how beautiful the girl was. Long, flowing blonde hair, wrapped in a braid. Skinny, curvacious figure, delicate features, and a beautiful blue dress with a cape-like attachment hooked onto the back. Regina usually didn't care how a girl looked, but this one- well, there was something about her that made her seem chillingly beautiful, and Regina was glad she hadn't decided to ambush her as she had planned. She cautiously approached the girl.

"Hello there. I'm Regina Mills, the mayor of this-"

"I don't care who you are. Take me to Rumpelstiltskin so I can tear off his head."

Regina stepped back, glaring at the girl. She opened her mouth to speak but David spoke before she could say something.

"Woah, slow down there. First of all, in Storybrooke-"

The girl turned around, glaring at all of them in turn. "I don't care! Just take me to him!" she yelled.

Regina figured that Rumpelstiltskin had done something horrible to this girl, like most people mad at him, but she was still reluctant go give in. She glanced at the others, but they seemed as bewildered as she felt.

"Wait here," Regina simply said. Before the girl could insist on coming with them, Regina used her magic to take them immediately into Gold's Pawnshop. Emma accidentally tripped into an ancient-looking pot.

"Hey! That took over a hundred years to obtain!" Rumpelstiltskin said angrily.

"Well, it won't matter how long it took you to obtain it since you're about to get frozen by the newest idiot in town!" Regina snapped, and then muttered, "We already have enough."

David and Emma glared at her. "Who are you calling an id-" David began, but Mr. Gold interrupted.

"What do you mean, frozen? And there's a new resident? Here?"

"Yes," said Regina, exasperated, "And she has freezing powers."

The bell on the door jingled as someone new walked in. Mr. Gold's eyes widened as he took in the sight. The others turned around slowly.

The girl did a mock curtsy. "Remember me, _Rumple_?"

**Wow, that took a long time to write. Thanks for reading it! A few things before you review. Firstly, I have never been a writer obsessed with details. Therefore, my chapters might be short at times, but try and bare with me :) Second of all, some of this might seem a little out of character for these people, but that is part of the story. This story will be partially about Regina/Robin, but I will also try and throw some action in too :)**

**And finally, I will start up one of my favorite traditions- Question of the Day. Basically, I will just ask you guys, well, a question, and you can answer it in your review. I'm doing this to get to know the readers better. **

**Today's Question is "Who is your favorite shipping?" **

******Ok, and to the people who have read my fanfiction for The Selection, I think I might cancel that, I'm not enjoying writing that one, and I was really excited to try writing a new one. I know I may not get that many reviews at first, but I want to do this. Thanks and sorry to disappoint.**


	2. Chapter 2

Gold did a double take before narrowing his eyes at the seemingly youthful woman.

"I thought I had you all sealed up, dearie. No problem," he said, doing one of his signature hand movements, "You should be easy to get rid of."

Regina raised her eyebrows. Who exactly was this girl, and how did Gold know her?

"Go on and try. I'll freeze you before you can even get near me," she said threateningly.

Surprisingly though, Gold laughed. "Oh Elsa, remember? I took away all your magic before imprisoning you!"

This time it was the girl's, Elsa's, turn to laugh. "I don't think so. My magic is perfectly intact."

She raised her hand and froze one of Gold's wooden statues. All of them stood gaping at her. She smiled cruelly.

"Now, lets make this quick. What have you done with my sister?"

Gold looked up at the ceiling, hesitating. "Well..."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, and repeated herself slowly, "What have you done with my sister? Start talking. Now. Remember, I can always freeze you if you don't answer!"

Regina decided to interfere, "Actually, you can't."  
She raised her arm, about to cast a spell.

"No!" Mary and David said at the same time. Elsa glanced at the queen, looking at her like she would something vile.

Regina glared at them, then stalked out, making sure to say, "Fine, but don't blame me that... thing... does her weird ice trick on you!"

Emma and David glanced at each other, then both shrugged. They knew better than to judge Regina. Meanwhile, Gold was trying to explain what had happened to Anna.

"Well, after I trapped you, she looked for you everywhere, but..."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "But what?"

"She died." Gold said, then laughed.

Elsa sank to the floor and wailed, losing her bad-girl charade.

"There must be a mistake. Or, at least, an explanation!"

"She's gone. Dead at the hands of Prince Hans. If he couldn't have her, than no one could."

Elsa got up, a glint in her eyes. "I'll get that bastard. And then I'll be coming back for you. Watch your back, _Gold_."

And with that, she marched out.

As soon as she was gone, all of them turned to Gold.

"What was _that_?" Emma said angrily.

Gold looked straight at her. "I trapped her in my... dungeon. She, as you can see, is quite upset about it."

"Maybe that is true, but I know you were lying about Anna being dead. Why would you tell her that?" Emma questioned suspiciously.

"Well, she kind of hates me. It's not like I could tell her what really happened to Anna," Gold said.

"She has reason to hate-" Emma started angrily, but was shushed by her mother.

"Emma, for now we need to worry about other, bigger things. Let's go outside and follow her to see where she goes," David said soothingly.

Emma reluctantly nodded and all of them sighed, relieved. David pulled out his sword, and opened the door. It jingled as they filed silently out, each to their own thoughts. Emma was thinking about what Mr. Gold might have done with Anna. She should be somewhere in Storybrooke, it was just a matter of... where.

* * *

Elsa walked briskly down the Main Street of Storybrooke. Some rebellious part of her thought "No, Anna can't be dead. Don't believe him". Elsa squashed that thought quickly, not wanting her hopes to get up. She couldn't exactly trust this man, but killing her sister seemed like exactly what he would have let Hans do. Anna would have been of no use to Rumpelstiltskin, or even Hans.. She possessed no magic and no secrets... at least, not that they would be interested in. She had plenty of other secrets, though. Elsa had to agree with Rumple on this one- there was only one explanation for Anna's death.

_Oh right, Hans, _she thought. Where was that cruel prince? Knowing him, the obnoxious boy was probably hiding out somewhere, waiting for the perfect opportunity to finally kill her. Not that he cared about the throne this late in the game. No, this would be out of spite. _Now, where would this prince be hiding... Oh! _Elsa thought. She had realized exactly where Hans might have gone. She turned around and surveyed the small town. Finally, she found what she was looking for. Hans would be looking for the way back to where this all started... Arendale. He would be going to the biggest, fanciest looking place- what appeared to be the Mayor's mansion. Knowing Hans, he would think that there would be a magic bean somewhere in there, and he might be right. She broke into a run, ready to kill Hans. It was time to end this, once and for all.

* * *

"Where's she going?" Emma whispered from behind a bush. They watched as Elsa broke into a run , sprinting in the direction of a few houses. Behind her, Mary and David exchanged a glance, as clueless as their daughter.

"Well, come on. We may as well follow-" David started to say. He had gotten up to get a better view. Suddenly he started to run in the direction that Elsa had disappeared in.

"Wait!" Emma said.

"Where are you going?"

Emma and Mary shrugged, then ran after him. They ran, hard, for a few minutes before stopping to catch their breath, panting. Then David's mouth dropped open.

"What is it?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Look," he said, pointing. Mary and Emma turned around. Emma narrowed her eyes.

"She appears to be heading... right to Regina's house," David said suspiciously.

"Emma, I know you aren't always so impressed with Regina's actions, but if Elsa is going in there to try to do something to Regina, we can't just stand by and watch," Mary said cautiously.

Emma nodded, "I understand."

"Well, lets go!" David said impatiently

David pulled out his sword, Mary got her bow, and Emma her gun. They all glanced at each other.

"Follow me."

* * *

Elsa pulled open the door to the mansion. She carefully glanced around, looking for any signs of Hans. He wasn't very careful, so if he was here looking for a magic bean, or the means to get one, he would pull out every drawer, open every door, search every room. But the house seemed to be in perfect condition- other than the occasional pot or bag laying around. It wasn't until she entered a bedroom that anything seemed out of place.

There were clothes strewn all over the place, as well as paperwork and random objects. Elsa got excited- she was onto him. Or so she thought. It wasn't until she heard a crash from downstairs that she realized she needed to get out of there- and quickly. Hans may not have freezing ice powers like she, but recently he had developed his own kind of... magic, if you could call it that.

No, his would be called sorcery in this land. While Elsa had learned her lesson and had only used her magic for good after being isolated from the world, Hans seemed to have missed out on that lesson. He believed that magic was power, and power was happiness. He had spent his whole life trying to get power- at least, while Elsa was there.

He got power eventually through magic, but as they say, magic always came with a price. Hans had lived a lonely, loveless life. Everyone feared him, but he seldom stirred up trouble, unless there was something he was after. Gold, a magical object, something of the sort. He reminded Elsa of Rumpelstiltskin in that way- both obsessed with power, both collectors of magical, vile objects.

And now he was in Storybrooke. It was no surprise he was trying to find a magic bean- if, of course, that's what he was doing. All of his stuff would be back at his tower. Little did she know, Hans wasn't just looking for a magic bean, he was also looking for... her.

A few seconds later, Elsa heard another crash coming from upstairs this time. She glanced around, looking for a way to get out of the room. She could use her ice powers to make a ladder or a set of stairs out of the window... In a hurry, Elsa wasn't thinking properly- she just knew she needed to get out of that place and formulate a plan before Hans discovered her. She stumbled over to the window- only to have a bag slung over her face.

"Miss me, darling?" said Hans. Elsa was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa cursed and tried to freeze the bag that her head now occupied. But her powers seemed to be nonexistent. Finally, she gave up.

"What have you done?" she shrieked at Hans.

"What does it look like, honey? I took away those... stunning powers of yours. Don't fret, you can have your precious magic back after you tell me something," he whispered into her ear. She could feel a knife at her throat. Not that Hans needed it. Without her magic, he could do anything, _anything _he wished to her. She gritted her teeth.

"Looking for a magic bean? Sorry, if I had one I would be back in Arendale before you could say "Storybrooke", Hans," Elsa said, chuckling.

"I have no doubts you would," said Hans thoughtfully, "but that's not what I need you to tell me."

"Ask away, but no promises," Elsa said sarcastically.

"This is not a joke, Elsa!" Hans growled.

Elsa felt him jerk the knife closer to her neck. Her eyes rolled back ever so slightly.

"What do you want, Hans?" she said, closing her eyes. She suddenly felt ever so dizzy.

"I want-" he began, but stopped as they both heard the sound of a door opening, then slamming against the wall. Hans glanced in the direction of the noise.

"We'll finish this conversation later," he said.

Elsa half expected him to go downstairs and curse whoever was entering the house, but instead he disappeared in a fog of blue smoke. She crumpled to the floor, panting. She hadn't realized it at the time, but he had been holding her body at an awkward angle, explaining the sudden dizziness she had experienced earlier.

She closed her eyes gently. Elsa decided that even if someone like Rumple had entered the house, it didn't matter at this point. Anna was dead and Hans had found a way to take her magic. There was no way she could defeat him. Nothing was worth living for at this point. If someone wanted to kill her, than so be it. Right now she was so tired... She just wanted to sleep.

Elsa had almost drifted off before she heard shouting.

"I found her! She's in here!"

"What is she doing?"

"She's hurt! Get a doctor- quickly!"

Elsa listened curiously as the voices blurred in and out. A somewhat crazy part of her wondered if the angels were coming to get her. She had never believed in this type of thing before, but better late than never right? This is what she told herself as she quickly lost conscious, and became prisoner to the dark.

* * *

Emma and Mary Margaret rushed Elsa to the hospital in her yellow car. The girl had lost conscious almost immediately. She had a wound on her neck, and a scratch on her leg. When they found her, David had wondered if she had tried to attack Regina, and Regina had hurt her, but Emma disagreed. Regina wasn't much of a weapon user, and those injuries were definitely from a knife.

But if not Regina, than who? Was it that Hans that she had mentioned earlier? David had decided to go find Regina while they took Elsa to the hospital. Hopefully they would have answers soon.

When they got to the hospital, Mary grabbed the girl while Emma locked the car, and together they dragged, if not awkwardly, the girl into the ER. Storybrooke's hospital wasn't the best, but it would have to do for now until they could get more help.

As soon as the lady at the counter saw Elsa, she started backing away.

"We don't heal villains here, sorry," she said nervously.

Emma glared at her. "You don't, or can't?"

"Well, you see..." the woman stammered.

"You are going to heal this girl right now! And by the way, she's not a villain."

The receptionist nodded. "Doctor needed in the ER, I repeat, Doctor needed in the ER!" she said into her walkie-talkie.

A minute later, a doctor came sprinting into the room.

"Sorry about that-" he started to say, but Emma cut him off.

"Just go, please!" she said urgently.

Emma didn't know why she was suddenly so protective of this girl. She just... felt that she would be important for the safety of Storybrooke.

Ten minutes later, the same doctor from earlier came into the waiting room.

"The girl's going to live, she just will have to stay in the hospital for a week or so."

Emma nodded, "Is she awake yet?"

"Not quite, but I can call you when she does, if you like," the doctor said politely.

Emma nodded and wrote down her phone number for him. He handed it to the receptionist, who put it in her desk.

Mary Margaret had been silent through the whole encounter, but decided to speak up.

"Emma, we better go. David's made progress on the case, he just texted me."  
Emma perked up, "Let's go then."

They zoomed through town, stopping at Granny's Diner. David had said in his text that he was talking to Regina there, and she had some news for them. He didn't specify what, though. Neither said it, but both were dying of curiosity- neither had ever experienced an event quite like this before.

Entering the Diner cautiously, Emma and Mary immediately heard Regina's voice coming from the nearest booth.

"I told you David, I went and saw it myself," she insisted.

"That just doesn't sound right- Oh, Regina, tell Mary Margaret and Emma what you discovered," he said, smiling at his family, the light not quite reaching his eyes.

Emma raised an eyebrow, and Mary looked at Regina curiously. Regina nodded at them.

"Earlier I had... gone for a walk when I discovered something. You know the barn Zelena had used for casting the time portal? Well... It, and the land around it, are completely frozen."

Mary Margaret's mouth dropped, "How is that possible?"

"I want to know the same thing," said Regina.

"I need to see it for myself," Emma said, speaking for the first time since they had gotten to Granny's.

Regina opened her mouth to accuse Emma of not believing her, but Emma spoke first.

"Its not that I don't trust you," said Emma, "I just want to investigate further."

Regina nodded thoughtfully, "I didn't really look, I came straight back- and David told me all about Elsa."

David glanced at Mary, "Regina couldn't have done it, as Emma thought. She was out on that walk. Plus, she hadn't been to her house since that morning."

Emma and Mary Margaret nodded.

"Well, lets go see what this ice is doing in Storybrooke in the beginning of fall."

* * *

Robin had been in the woods when he discovered the same thing Regina did- the frozen over barn. He started to investigate when he saw the Charmings, as well as Regina, approach the barn from the other side. They didn't notice him, which relieved Robin. He missed Regina, but he didn't think he could bear to see the heartbroken look that was sure to be on her face if she saw him.

He was a little surprised though that Regina was with them. In the past, she had expressed hostility towards the family- especially Emma Swan. She seemed happy enough now, though- as happy as one could be under the circumstances.

He watched from the edge of the forest as they all entered the barn, Regina in the rear. While he knew he should be focusing on Marian, he couldn't help looking over every inch of her. She was just so beautiful. Today she was wearing a gray fur coat over a dress. Somehow she always managed to look good in any style she wore, should it be a red dress or a pantsuit.

She tossed her hair to one side before cautiously entering the frozen barn. Robin looked down at his feet, only to notice something. A moment before, he had been standing on solid ground. Now, it was ice. Forget Regina, he needed to tell someone before this... spreading ice reached the town. He ran into the barn.

Making sure not to look at Regina, who he felt was staring at him, he said, "The ice is moving!"

Emma's face contorted, "Slow down, what do you mean?"

"Exactly that," Robin said, "The ice is _spreading_."

All of them ran outside.

"How is that even possible?" Mary Margaret said quietly.

"I don't know, but if it reaches the town, we have a problem," David replied.

They all agreed.

"What can we do?" Emma asked.

Regina looked at the sky.

"I could try using magic, but I don't know how well that would do."

Robin couldn't help being impressed by her ability to think even when the man who had broken her heart was standing not three feet away. He just wished he could reassure her that things would work out, that all of them would find a way to be happy, no matter who Robin ended up with.

But Regina didn't look at him once. Instead, Mary Margaret turned to him.

"Robin, could you go inform Mr. Gold of this?" she asked kindly.

Robin nodded thankfully, knowing that she was trying to help both him and Regina out of an awkward situation.

When he was gone, Regina could finally breathe normally again.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

Then, before Mary Margaret could respond, she conjured up a ball of magic. Throwing it at the ice, she used all of her willpower to try and stop the spreading, but the ice kept slowly creeping forward. She didn't know how she could have missed this... catastrophe... earlier. Surely she should have noticed it. Maybe if she had tried earlier, it wouldn't have been so hard to stop. Gathering up all her strength, thinking of the things that had made her mad in the past few days, she got a huge wad of magic and thrust it at the edge of the ice.

All her strength gone, Regina collapsed onto the cold hard ground.

"Are you ok?" Mary Margaret said, rushing to her side.

"Yes.. did it... work?" Regina croaked.

David and Mary Margaret glanced at the ice.

"I'm so sorry Regina. It didn't," Mary Margaret said.

Regina sighed.

"Oh well..."  
She extended her hand and David pulled her up. Regina stumbled, so Emma and David put their arms around her shoulders and they all awkwardly walked back to the town to break the news- Storybrooke might be frozen for a little. There was nothing anyone could do until Elsa could wake up and undo it.

Now all that anyone could do was wait.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few days after discovering the ice barn, and Storybrooke was almost completely frozen over. There was just one place safe from the ice- Mary Margaret and David's apartment. Everything else was frozen- couches, beds, kitchens, everything. It made it a little awkward when you were trying to sleep or relax in Storybrooke. Luckily, the ice didn't spread past the border. That would have taken some explaining to reporters.

Mary Margaret and David were enjoying a glass of wine before it became flavored ice, while Emma and Hook were talking down by the docks. Regina was moping in her house, and Elsa had yet to wake up. For once in a long time, Storybrooke was actually kind of peaceful- other than the eerie chill of the ice. A few of the residents thought the ice was cool to look at, but most were already tired of the chill.

The "most" part of this included one member in particular- Hans. Hans, like a few of the others, was anxiously awaiting Elsa's awakening. He was currently situated in an abandoned house, seemingly a habit for villains such as he. He had tried using sorcery to get rid of the cursed ice, but nothing could make it disappear. This was yet another reason why he needed Elsa, other than getting answers out of her. He wondered what had happened to her, and to Anna, but most of all, he had one question in particular.

While most would laugh at the very notion, once in his life, Hans did have love. A girl named Lucy, before Anna. She had been killed out at sea- or so everyone had thought. But right before Storybrooke had happened to him, Hans had found reason to believe that she might still be alive, and he thought that Elsa might be behind this. He had to admit, Elsa was a pretty good wielder of magic herself- although he was better.

However, she was good enough to attempt- and succeed in- kidnapping a simple girl. Hans didn't know what he would do if he found Lucy. He had found enough goodness in his heart to hope she had a good life. Maybe a loveless one, but a good one all the same.

He had heard that Lucy was somewhere in a place called Sherwood Forest, going by a different name. He wondered what it was like there, and if she had ever thought of him while there.

Hans shook those thoughts out of his head. Love was weakness, he knew that. He just needed to know if she was safe. When he found that out, he would be able to sleep at night. He would be able to finally let go of all the pain and anger. Or so he hoped. He sighed and grabbed another blanket from his dimly lit bedroom. It was going to be a long, cold night. Oh, how he wished he was back in the warm Enchanted Forest, where the summer breeze felt like pure bliss.

* * *

A day and a half later, all of Storybrooke was anxious. Elsa was awake. Emma wanted to go right away, but Mary said that they should give her time. Emma paced for an hour and a half before getting in her car.

"I can't wait any longer," was all she said before driving off.

She sped down main street. _The perks of being the sheriff_, she thought. Parking in the handicapped section of the lot, she jumped out of her convertible and walked inside as fast as she could without looking crazy.

"May I see her?" asked Emma, starting to pace again. A receptionist, a different one this time, nodded before giving her a half smile.

"Just... be careful. She's a little, well, she's still getting used to being awake again," the receptionist said.

Emma nodded, bewildered, as a woman doctor with a southern accent took her down a hallway. The walls and floor were all white. Emma had always wondered why, since white was the most stainable of all colors. Hospitals were meant to be practical, not fashionable.

The doctor nodded for Emma to go in, and Emma opened the door a tiny crack, then all the way. Elsa was sitting straight up. When she saw Emma, her eyes narrowed.

"Where is he? _Where is he?" _Elsa said loudly. Emma glanced helplessly at the doctor, who shrugged back.

"I'll leave you to talk to her," the doctor said.

"Thank you, Dr...?" Emma asked.

"Marie, my name is Marie," the woman said kindly. She smiled and left.

Emma turned back to Elsa, and then went to sit in a chair next to her bed. The chair and the bed were, of course, ice, but Elsa didn't seem to notice.

"So... do you remember what happened?" Emma asked cautiously.

"Yes, _he took my powers!" _Elsa shouted.

"I'm sorry... Uh, speaking of that..." Emma began, looking down. She didn't want to have to ask Elsa about this right away, but they really did need to solve this whole frozen-over-town thing.

"What?" Elsa said, hostile.

"How do you unfreeze something that you froze?"

"Fire, don't you know?" Elsa said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Emma tried a different approach.

"Do you have a special way to unfreeze it, since you are so powerful?"

"Fire, fire fire..." Elsa mumbled, her eyes half closed.

Elsa then collapsed onto her mattress. Emma sighed. That hadn't worked out so well. Elsa seemed half crazy. Plus, if Regina's power couldn't unfreeze the ice, than fire certainly couldn't. What would they do if they couldn't unfreeze Storybrooke? Emma knew one thing- A very, very cold winter was approaching Storybrooke- and fast.

* * *

Robin, meanwhile, was enjoying the ice with his son Roland. He always tried to make the best out of a situation like this. He and his son were trying something that the people here called "ice skating". A lady suggested it earlier when he went to the store. He and Roland were trying to balance on the blade, and so far failing. Most of the time, all they had managed to do was balance for about a second before collapsing onto the frozen ground.

Robin heard someone call his name, and he turned around.

"Marian! Would you care to join us?" he asked cheerfully.

"Actually... I wanted to talk to you about something," she said, her brow furrowing.

Robin was clueless, but Marian had figured out that he had strong feelings for Regina. She had seen the look on the queen's face when she saw Robin, and it definitely wasn't out of pure cruelty. Marian knew a broken heart when she saw one- which lead her to believe that Robin had meant something to Regina. However, Regina seemed to have really changed. She hadn't, after all, burned down the whole building in her anger. Marian sighed. Life in Storybrooke was so complicated.

Gathering up her courage, Marian opened her mouth to speak.

"Robin, first of all, I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and I know that you used to feel the same way- but something's different now."

"What makes you think something's changed?" Robin asked, hurt.

"I know you haven't realized it yet, but I think you love someone here more than you ever loved me."

Robin sighed, "Who do you mean?"

"Regina."

Marian sighed also.

Robin protested, "She almost killed you! I would never do that to you."

Marian shook her head, before getting up, "That wasn't Regina. That was the evil queen. Plus, I'm not letting you do this to me- I'm giving you the choice you deserve."

It hurt to say that for Marian, but she knew that she- both of them, really, would be miserable if he didn't make up his mind on who he truly loved. The moment when she saw that confident face of Regina's slip, she knew that she couldn't cause someone else to be in such pain. Marian was truly selfless.

Marian walked off, leaving Robin feeling worse than he had earlier. Regina or Marian? Marian or Regina? Confident and bold, or selfless and kind?

Making serious choices were never Robin's strong suit, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5-Part 1

It was a very eventful day for the people of Storybrooke. Today was a week after Emma tried talking to Elsa, and no one had made any progress. Everyone had to use their fireplaces just so they wouldn't freeze. Hook especially was unhappy because his hook had frozen over, meaning that he couldn't use it for anything- ice was more fragile than metal ever was.

The day started out pretty normally. Marian had left the Merry Men's camp to give Robin some space. She thought he would be able to make a more rational decision if she weren't hovering over him. Marian had slept in the woods alone. She knew enough about surviving in the wilderness to get her through a night.

Marian woke up in the morning feeling like she needed to _do _something- something to keep her occupied and not thinking about Robin so much. She wished she could go see Roland, but she knew it was for the best if she didn't. So instead, Marian decided to take a walk through Storybrooke. If they were living here now, the best thing for her to do was at least get to know it a little better.

Marian brought an apple and a bottle of water in a pouch hanging by her hip, courtesy of one of the merry men. She also slipped a knife into her boot. You never knew who you would have to deal with. She had forgotten to bring some fresh clothes before leaving the camp the night before, so she was still wearing her standard green when she ventured out of the forest. She glanced around, finding herself in a meadow. Well, it was an ice tundra now, but it appeared to have used to be a meadow.

Marian was kindhearted, but had pretty bad instincts, so she found a tree with a few low branches and quickly climbed her way up to the top, where she had a great, unfolding view of the town, as well as the forest surrounding it. She immediately spotted the Main Street, which was the only real road in the whole place. Surrounding the street on either side were dirt paths leading to houses that seemed to be in ok shape. Marian wondered if when a newcomer entered the town, they had to build another house for them. This would be useful to know since she herself might be needing her own house soon. At least, if Robin chose Regina Mills over her. She deflated at the thought.

Marian cautiously climbed down the tree. She hiked her way through the meadow and entered the town through a dirt road that had a few houses on either side. No one was anywhere to be seen. She guessed, ever so trusting, that none of the people here were morning folks. She kept on walking, breathing in the sweet scent of morning dew. Marian had always been one to appreciate nature, one of the reasons she fell in love with Robin. He completely understood her drive towards the outdoors.

She stopped to rest after a few minutes, sitting onto a patch of grass and biting into an apple. The apple was sweet and refreshing, so she ate it all quickly. Then Marian grabbed her water and took a quick swig before moving on. The routine felt very natural to her, since she did it on the way to roadside raids and such. She was just used to having company.

The brunette went in the direction she remembered Main Street being, but the longer she walked, the further away it seemed. She walked slower and slower until she was dragging her feet, creating clouds of dust that immediately froze in the cold air. Marian started to regret not bringing a jacket. Finally, when it seemed she would never get anywhere, a man walked out of the shadows. Marian smiled at him kindly. He was old and hunched over, so she wondered if he was having any troubles.  
"Would you like any help, good sir?" She asked politely.

"I could ask the same of you, couldn't I?" he replied back, winking.

Marian smiled, but was starting to feel wary. The way he was looking at her-

"Come closer, darling," he said, beaconing.

"I don't think that's such a good ide-" she started to say, but he cut her off.

"Come."

Then, something very odd happened. Her feet moved of their own accord, and she suddenly found herself right next to him. She gaped, not quite putting two and two together.

"Magic," he explained. He reached up, and slowly pulled down his hood. He looked up at her, and they gasped at the same time. Because he was no old man. Marian was looking at- Hans.

"L-Lucy?" he stuttered.

"Hans?" Marian asked cautiously.

Hans stumbled towards her and enveloped her in a rough hug, but she broke away quickly.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" he asked, hurt.

"I'm so, so sorry. I'm- I'm married and I have a child now. And my name is Marian," she said quickly, looking down.

Hans seemed to think hard for a moment, before coming to a conclusion.

"Can you at least come home with me? We can catch up over a cup of tea. I won't harm you, I promise," Hans said, his throat rumbling.

Marian, ever so trusting, agreed. She didn't know the stories about Hans, and was totally fine with talking while warming up. So she followed him as he lead her to a run-down shack.

"It's the best I can do for now," Hans said, pretending to look ashamed.

Marian believed every word, "That's ok. I'm living in the woods at the moment," she said, laughing.

Hans made up a story about how when she was gone, he had been a lonely fisherman until the curse. He told her that he had thought about her everyday, which was true. Everything else, though, he made up. Hans thought if Luc- well, Marian, thought him to be a good man, she might fall in love with him again, and they could be happily married. He would make her see that he was better than whatever jerk she was with right now.

Marian told him how after the ship had wrecked on an island, she had found out that it was not an island- it was a huge group of kingdoms whom everyone called "The Enchanted Forest". She had been unconscious when she landed, but a group of kindhearted men nurtured her until she woke.

Ever so considerate of others' feelings, she left out the part about falling in love with Robin. She knew that Hans still loved her- she could see it in his eyes. But Marian also knew who _she _loved, and it wasn't the ginger sitting next to her. Maybe she could break it to him gently later.

After they talked about pasts, both leaving out the parts the other was sure to be angry about, they talked about the future, and the iced-over town.

"Don't you think this was some evil witch's idea of a joke?" Hans said.

Marian considered this for a moment, before shaking her head, "No. I think this is just some coincidence, or an accident. Who would purposefully do this to us?"

Hans rolled his eyes discreetly. _Elsa_, he thought. He wished he could tell Marian about her, but that would mean telling her about everything else, so instead he said, "I don't know. I guess we will have to see, hmm?"

"I guess so," Marian agreed, before thinking of something, "this is a completely new topic, but what were you going to do to me in the middle of the road before you pulled down your hood and saw who I was?"

Hans hesitated for a moment, trying to formulate an excuse.

"I... I was going to ask if you knew where Regina was," he said. He hadn't really been looking for that person. He hardly even knew who she was in their land.

"Oh!" Marian said, her brow furrowing.

Hans grabbed the pitcher full of warm tea and poured her another cup. She nodded thankfully before taking a deep gulp.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the way her eyebrows were still puckered up on her forehead.

"Nothing, nothing... I was just thinking," she quickly explained.

Hans saw right through her lie, but didn't say anything. But he knew something now- he needed to find out who this lady really was, and what she had done to his Lucy.

* * *

Meanwhile, the real action of the day came later. Emma had spent a day in bed, relaxing. She had been drifting in and out of sleep, dreaming deeply about Henry, Zelena, and, of course- Hook. The dreams about Hook though weren't exactly pleasant. They weren't even exactly dreams. They were memories, mashed together to form a nightmare raging in her head. She woke up, panting, in her bed at Mary Margaret's apartment. She glanced around and spotted Henry sitting on the floor. She reminded herself to stay strong for him.

"What's up, kid?" she asked, already fully awake.

"Something about Operation Cobra doesn't make sense," he said. His legs were sprawled out on the floor, and he was laying on his belly, examining something.

"And what's that?" Emma asked. She was only half-listening to him. She had other things on her mind.

"You remember how Hook said David and Mary Margaret had gotten a note, but they said they haven't? Well, who would have known where we were in New York?"

When Emma didn't respond, Henry got slightly frustrated.

"Mom!" he said.

"Huh?" Emma said, coming out of a daze.

"Mom, are you okay? You're not acting like normal. Usually you would be right onto this."

Emma glanced down, and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Henry asked, concerned, sounding like his 10 year old self.

"Yeah... I guess you could say that."

A new voice was heard, "Want to talk about it, Swan?"

Henry and Emma turned around, both startled. Hook was standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised. He seemed to have came straight from slumber- as if he sensed something had been up.

Henry nodded encouragingly at Emma, before leaving, shutting the door behind him. He would undoubtedly be listening from the other side of the wall, but Emma was surprisingly glad for the privacy. Even though Killian had been the one haunting her dreams, it might help to tell him. That, and she knew he would immediately reassure her. Sometimes it was nice having someone who cared for her so much.

Hook sat on the bed next to her, a respectful distance between them- a distance, Emma thought, that soon would probably be nonexistent- knowing Killian. She had avoided him since their kiss at Granny's, but not out of anger- she just had been confused about how she felt. He seemed to understand, and had let her be.

But now, she needed him more than ever. She needed to feel safe; to feel loved, and, more than anything, she needed _him_. Not her parents, not Henry, him. And this led Emma to the realization that she loved Killian Jones. He had his flaws, but so did everyone, even herself. And she needed him like she needed air. She had been desperate to see him after she came to this... understanding with herself. She had looked for him nonstop, on his ship, in Granny's, everywhere she thought he might be. He had been nowhere.

And then Emma had this dream that made her doubt everything. What if it wasn't real? What if he was just going to use her like everyone else did? She was tired of being this savior that everyone counted on. And now she was powerless. What if...

All of this Emma thought as Killian just sat, waiting patiently. Finally, he called her name softly.

"Emma?"

When she didn't respond, the ex-pirate sighed, knowing exactly what tune was playing through Emma's head.

"Emma, give me a chance, ok?" he said, tilting her head up with his hand so that her eyes were level with his. His cologne overpowered her senses, and she gave into him. His sapphire blue eyes met hers, and he gently rubbed her back. Her mouth gave in to a small flicker of a smile, before she nodded.

They sat silently for a while, Emma relaxing into Hook's embrace. She felt so at home in his arms, but she knew Killian deserved to know what she had been so restless about this morning.

"I, um..." she began. Hook made encouraging circles on her back with his thumb. She opened her mouth to continue, but no words came out. She imagined herself saying, "I had bad dreams about you", or "I have a few doubts", but all of it just sounded stupid. Adults didn't have 'bad dreams', right? Well, unless you had been on the run for half your life, and was always on the lookout for police cars to come speeding down whatever narrow alley she was located in, coming to take her away.

"It's okay, Emma. You can have all the time in the world. You know I will be right here waiting for you, no matter what you choose to do," Hook said, his eyes searchingly examining her hazel ones. She nodded, and he left the room.

She burst into tears the moment he was gone. She should have just told him what was going on. She wasn't good enough, strong enough. He was disappointed, he wished she would open up, he... A billion scenarios ran through her mind of what he might be thinking. She was out the door, pulling on her coat, before even she knew what she was doing. One word came out of her word, the first real thing she had said to him. He turned around, halfway down the street. A few bystanders on the street looked curiously at the two, but Emma didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were all for Killian. She opened her mouth.

"Wait."

That one word, there was hope in it. If there was one thing she had learned from her mother, it was that hope can come with fear, doubt, and heartbreak, but it can also come with a thing more important than anything else- happiness.

* * *

Maybe Emma and the others had a good moment, but they were about to encounter something far, far worse than ever before. Because that day, Elsa said her first words since the encounter with Hans. And she was desperate to have his blood on her hands by the month's end.

She blinked once, twice, three times. Her heart monitor beeped faster. She knew any time nurses would run in. She would be patient, but there was something she had to do.

"I must kill him," she mused to herself, tasting the words on her lips like a child with a sugary sweet. She repeated these words over and over before the nurses, right on cue, came in, putting various machines all over her body.

She nodded, confirming her earlier thoughts. This was the only way to bring justice to her sister's death. She must kill Hans. She had already known this from the moment she set out to find him, but now it wasn't just about Anna- it was about the whole town of Storybrooke. She didn't have to look down to know that everything was frozen solid- again. She also didn't have to think very hard before she knew that there was only one way to save everyone here before their hearts became cold, hard, and unyielding. Revenge was the only way. The first time, Elsa found love in her heart for Anna, but it was too late now for this.

Elsa put her hand over where her heart should have beat. A lone tear fell down her face. Her heart was still frozen, frozen like the land around her. She would never love again.

**To anyone that actually read this, basically Elsa's heart froze over a few years after Anna disappeared. It was bound to happen- Anna was the only one who Elsa loved. **

**Now that this is cleared up, I'm curious to know- how many people are actually reading my story on a regular basis? Also, I'm going to start up something I did on my other fanfiction- a Question of the Day. This is a way for me to get to know my readers :)**

**Today's Question: What is your favorite OUAT pairing? How long have you shipped them?**

**My answer: Outlaw Queen, definitely. I love Regina's good side, and I want her to be happy with someone. Who better than her soul mate, right?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5- Part 2

**America's POV**

_Maxon meets someone he hasn't seen in a long time at a restaurant his dad took him to.  
_

I yawned sleepily as a maid came in to open my curtains. The curtains, as well as the rest of the room, were truly beautiful. Even nicer than the ones back in Illea, and that's saying a lot. I didn't know how I was going to get used to being back in my old, run down house. Maybe I could convince Mom to buy a new house with the money I earned from the Selection. I yawned and rolled out of bed- a big mistake, I realized, when my whole body protested. I had gotten out of the hospital last night, after them giving me a long, stern speech on not doing anything to mess up the wound even more, but I was still pretty sore. Italy's doctors must have been much better than the ones in Illea, though, since they healed me in just under a day, and let me rein freely the next.

I glanced over at the clock- 11:23. Unsure of if I should go meet the royal family for lunch, I decided to at least freshen up in case there were any visitors. I got up, carefully this time, and stumbled in a sleepy haze over to the shower. The shower, as well as pretty much everything else, was distinctly European, but ten minutes later I was scrubbing, shaving, and shampooing away. I wanted to look my best today. When I finished, I treated myself to a short, hot, nice bath- and enjoyed every second of it, but it was really too short. I eventually forced myself to open the drain, watching both physical and emotional dirt disappear. I sighed. When had I suddenly grown up from the light, carefree girl I was before the Selection?

When I got dressed in my old clothes in the bathroom and walked into my bedroom, I immedietely heard a tsk tsk sound coming from by my closet. I spun around, searching, until I found the source of the noise- an older looking maid. She was looking at my clothes and shaking her head.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She just laughed and held up a gorgeous dress that perfectly captured the image of both casual and stunning, and needless to say, I was in love. With a dress. In Italy. Never thought my life would go this way! I wish Aspen, or Maxon, or SOMEONE I knew was here- it was getting pretty lonely. But the maid was pretty nice. She made me close my eyes as she did my hair, makeup, and put on my dress for me. Finally, she lead me to a mirror and I got to open my eyes. I gasped, squealed, and hugged the maid. I'm not usually a squealer, or even girly, but the way I looked now was definitely squeal-worthy.

I was wearing a white dress with a sweetheart neckline, made causal by a thin belt wrapped around my waist, and the dress's hems were adorned by a floral pattern. My hair was curled, coming halfway down my back, and my shoes were black pumps. My makeup was light, focusing around my eyes. I looked... beautiful.

"What is all this for?" I asked the maid curiously. She smiled.

"It's a surprise, honey. But we better get you downstairs or there will be no surprise to speak of!"

I was excited, but nervous too. What if I forgot all the Italian I learned with Kriss? What if it was a social event and Maxon was there?" I worried like this all the way there, as a guard led me. Only when he stepped back to open the door did I realize that there was not one but THREE guards following me around. They must have been seriously worried about that assassin- I may have known his name, but I didn't know how I knew, or anything else about him. Were they keeping something from me? This train of thought was lost as the guards led me into the room- and everyone yelled "surprise!" I smiled and looked around. There was the royal family, of course, lots of foreign men and women, most over whom I didn't recognize, and- my family.

"Daddy! Mom!" I tried not to run to them. They enveloped me in hugs. May and Gerad were there too, standing shyly off to the side. I was glad that Daddy was proud of me and Mom wasn't mad that I lost, but I really wanted to get to talk to my siblings again, so I broke away as gently as possible and gave them both a hug.

"It's so good that we can be a family again now! I wanted you to marry the Prince but I think now you should do whatever your heart should tell you to do," May told me. Wise words from a young teenager. I thanked her and knelt next to Gerad.

"How's your soccer going, buddy?" I asked him.

"Good?" He said shyly. I frowned. When had Gerad EVER been shy? I would have to fix this. But before I could say anything else, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Princess Nicoletta.

"Surely you would like to come meet my sister and parents?" I nodded eagerly, but then glanced back at my family. Dad nodded approvingly, but I still shot back an apologetic glance before letting Nicoletta pull me away.

She lead me regally through the crowd, striding swiftly through the mass of people, with her hand clutching my wrist. Some people tried to interview me, asking questions like,

"How do you feel about getting eliminated, Lady America?" And

"What would you tell Maxon if you could say anything?"

I opened my mouth to respond but Princess Nicoletta pulled me away.

"They will take your words, and twist and twist until it is not truth anymore. Don't tell anything to them."

I nodded, somewhat bewildered. Finally I spotted what could have only been her parents, King Derek and Queen Charolette. They both wore kind expressions on their face, nothing like Princess Nicoletta. I barely knew her, but I could already tell she had a very... distinct personality.

I curtsied, they smiled, we chatted about small things.

I thanked them for all they had done.

Normal things.

But I couldn't help feling distracted.

Something was off.

Everyone went quiet.

They felt it too.

I glanced around.

Had enough time

to register

that there

was a

bomb.

and just... like... that...

_It's funny how you can go a whole lifetime without ever being hurt, and then suddenly there's a killer after you- a killer who will stop at nothing to see you gone._

**Opinion time! SHould this stay as just romane, or should I make another main idea mystery? i'm fine with either. Sorry about long wait- this got retyped THREE TIMES. Yeah.. Next chapter up within two days of ten more reviews :)**

**QOTD: Sweaters or Sweatshirts? Nike or Adidas?**

**For sake of time, I'm not going to respond to reviews today, but thank you SO MUCH for all the support! Love u guys :) And reviews. So please review :) Just kidding. Review if u want to, though!**


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